Lauren Hafner, Maggie Horan & Katie Ford talk about White Christmas, Theatre VCU and surviving the end of the semester!
What roles are each of you playing?
Lauren Hafner: I am in the ensemble, so I am playing a lot of roles. The major thing is Loretta who is a dancer in Bob and Phil’s Act. I also play Mrs. Snoring man who is a woman sitting next to Bob, Phil, Judy and Betty on the train who then beings randomly singing with them about snow. It isn’t always specified in the script, so it has been a lot of fun to figure out when I’m the same character from a previous scene, and how my relationships from that scene carry into the next. The other ensemble members and I have created some pretty interesting story lines for ourselves.
Katie Ford: I’m in the Ensemble, so we’re in all the big dance numbers and we have several smaller roles. I’m also an understudy for the role of “Betty”
Maggie Horan: I’m in the female ensemble playing various roles.
Besides the three of you, several other representatives, namely Professor Patti D’Beck and 2nd Year Graduate Student Justin Amellio, from TheatreVCU are participating in the project. What has it been like to work with them in an off campus production?
Lauren: Working with Patti and Justin has been incredible. I had Patti in my sophomore year for movement class and working with her on White Christmas has been a totally different experience. Patti is always really entertaining to work with because she is so passionate about what she does. And especially on this project, she gets so excited about every little thing and you can’t help but be excited too. And I adore Justin. He and I communicate really well together, so when something isn’t clear to me, or I’m having issues with anything, he understands and is able to explain things in a way that is clear to me without having to use many words or waste any time.
Katie: Working with Patti and Justin off-campus has been almost like an extension of being in class. You get to see the practical applications of what they teach you at VCU and see how it translates to a performance that happens over and over instead of just the final performance in class for a grade. It’s more collaboration and less instruction. And I, as the actor, am expected to produce results faster.
Maggie: It has been a fantastic experience working with Patti D’Beck, Penny Maas, Justin Amellio, and Marie Boyette (all Graduate students). It has been really neat to work with them off campus because I feel like I have gotten to know them on a different level rather than just studen/teacher. Working with Patti has been incredible. She is absolutely amazing and inspires me to do my very best. I feel incredibly honored to be able to work with such a kind, talented, and delightful person! She has made this experience absolutely wonderful.
You have been in rehearsals since October and having just opened this past weekend (November 18th), your run will last until early January. So far, how have you balanced such an intensive process with your academic studies and how do you plan to stay physically and mentally prepared through January?
Lauren: Time Management is key. With such a busy and intense schedule you have to be on top of things. Every weekend, I take a look at my schedule and the list of things that need to be accomplished and plan out everyday to ensure that everything gets done on time. And in that, you have to remember to plan in things like sleep. When I get busy, sleep is the first thing I normally sacrifice, so I’ve made it a point to schedule in enough time to sleep as well as everything else I have to do.
Katie: Luckily, the rehearsal process was so short that it was like a sprint to the finish. I barely had time to get stressed out. Now that the show is open and school is on break in a couple weeks, besides some understudy rehearsals, it should be smooth sailing from here until January.
Maggie: I am actually amazed how much I have been able to balance my academic studies with this rehearsal process. When I first got the schedule, I had absolutely no idea how I was going to be able to stay on top of things. But things have been going quite smoothly. I believe things will actually get easier as the run goes on because once the semester ends, the show will be the only thing I have to think about, which is great because I thoroughly enjoy being a part of it.
What have you learned from this process you intend to take back (or have already taken back) to your studies here at TheatreVCU?
Lauren: I’ve learned that you really do have to protect your process, even in the professional world. There may be people out there who function really well working in a way completely different than you are used to, or have worked in the past. Just because they work that way, doesn’t mean you have to. It is up to you to make sure you are preparing yourself to do your best work. No one is going to hold your hand, you are the only one responsible for your own work.
Katie: I’ve learned so much about what it means to be responsible for what you bring to the table and for being able to make choices without a director holding your hand every step of the way. Being in an ensemble is so much fun because you get to create so much without the pressure of the audience watching you intently. I can’t tell you how many story lines we’ve created just by standing upstage of the main scene and improvising something the audience will never hear, but it creates the mood and the color for the scene. I hope I can bring that creativity and that risk into everything I do.
Maggie: Through this experience, I have learned how important process is. I regret to say that in the past I was constantly worried about the product of the show I was doing. I did not take in the experience, I just stressed and wondered if the show was going to be good or not. Being in this show and working with Patti has taught me to stay in the moment, breath, and take in my surroundings. It was very relieving and a lot more fun to just experience each rehearsal as it went. I felt a lot more present and I learned so much more. I feel like being so present has made me become closer with the cast, and made each moment of this experience unforgettable.
Barksdale Theatre's photos of White Christmas
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